Stories from Friday, November 8, 2019

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BENTON, Mo. — The Scott County Bicentennial Committee is seeking submissions from all Scott County families to be shared in a book to celebrate the county’s milestone in 2021. The Committee is sponsoring, compiling and publishing a new book, “Scott County, Missouri, History and Families — Bicentennial Edition.” The book will include the history of the county including family histories, communities, churches, schools ,businesses, farms, memorials, tributes, clubs, organizations and more...

PARMA, Mo. — The public is invited to join with the congregation of the Parma General Baptist Church as they celebrate 130 years in Southeast Missouri with their Harvest Day on Nov. 10. Worship will begin at 11 a.m. with guest speaker Maurice Redden delivering the message. A potluck lunch will be served following the service and at 2 p.m. music will be provided by Changed Heart...

SIKESTON — During Monday’s Christian Women’s Fellowship meeting held at the First Baptist Church, those in attendance learned about hunger in the United States. Guest speaker Jennifer Wood, director of the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, shared statistics about hunger, particularly in Southeast Missouri during the meeting. Wood said food banks were founded in 1985 in an “all-out effort to combat hunger in our country.”...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Donald Dane Merideth, 70, died Nov. 6, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 14, 1948, in Glasgow, Ky., son of the late Robert and Marjorie Lee Hogan Merideth, he was a 1966 graduate of Park City High School. He worked at various factories, as a telephone lineman. In 1970, he began a 33-year career at Westvaco Paper Mill in Wickliffe, Ky., until his retirement in 2003...

AQUILA, Mo. — Effie Dodd, 70, died Nov. 6, 2019, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born March 25, 1949, in Bell City, daughter of the late John Thomas Daniels and Birtha Miller Daniels, she was a former employee of Venture Products in Oran for many years.  She was also a former employee at Wal-Mart and a member of the Morley Baptist Church...

SIKESTON – Teamwork makes the dream work, as the saying goes. Southeast Missouri Food Bank had been dreaming of getting another refrigerated truck to meet the demand for transporting food to its member pantries and for mobile truck-to-table food pantries in its 16-county service area. Some time ago, former Executive Director Karen Green shared that dream with members of the Mission Committee at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau...

MATTHEWS, Mo. — Kenneth Wayne Walters Sr., 80, died Nov. 7, 2019, at his home in Matthews. Born Dec. 1, 1938, in Anniston, son of the late Tyrus Henry and Julia Weakley Walters, he had been a self-employed farmer before retiring. On Jan. 1, 1961, he married Wanda Jean Standridge; she survives of the home...

SIKESTON — Vickie Mae Benton, 71, died Nov. 6, 2019, in Sikeston. Born Sept. 16, 1948, in Sikeston, she was the daughter of Nora Moss Northern and the late Roy Northern. In addition to her mother, survivors include: one daughter, Felicia Manns of Sikeston; one brother, Tony Northern of Sikeston; and three sisters, Paula Shaver of Sikeston, JoAnn Heffington of Dexter and Tammie Bennet of North Carolina...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — SoutheastHEALTH officially opened its newest clinic Nov. 5 for New Madrid County residents. Located at 800 U.S. Highway 61 in New Madrid, the newly constructed facility is designed to provide family primary care services. The building includes four patient exam rooms and an on-site lab...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. - The guest speaker for the Veterans’ Day Assembly at Portageville High School will be Olin Parks. The program will be held on Monday, November 11 in the Portageville High School gymnasium and will begin at 10:30 a.m. Parks is a Vietnam Veteran and VFW Judge Advocate. ...

Prosecutors called it murder. Ronald Clark called it self-defense. Now new evidence supports Clark’s claim and gives him hope the Missouri Supreme Court may free him after decades of incarceration. Clark has spent most of his adult life in jail, convicted of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Alvin Ray Spence outside a Charleston, Missouri, community center. The shooting occurred on the evening of Nov. 8, 1994, 25 years ago today...

BENTON, Mo. — The patriotic-themed tree currently on display in the Scott County Courthouse already features more history and heroes than it did last year when over 100 ornaments depicting veterans were placed on the tree. For the second consecutive year members of the Scott County Historical and Genealogy Society decorated the Christmas tree in the lobby of the courthouse at Benton in advance of Veterans Day, which is Monday...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. — First State Bank & Trust Co., Inc. recently promoted Charles F. “Trey” Cain III to south market president, an area encompassing Caruthersville, Portageville and Hayti. Most of Cain’s responsibilities will now expand to his new territory: overseeing operations, outlining strategic opportunities, developing mutually beneficial partnerships and increasing community outreach throughout the region...

SIKESTON — Steve Millington began in banking 47 years ago, filing checks and putting together bank statements for customers. After working in nearly all aspects of banking, Millington now serves as community bank president at First Midwest Bank in Sikeston...

Portageville, Mo. - For the past few months, the City of Lilbourn had been without a restaurant where a family could go to for a good home cooked dinner. Today, that need has been filled. Bobo’s Freeze Queen has been opened for the last three weeks feeding the folks and area farmers all around...

SIKESTON — Carnie McDaniel, 85, died Nov. 8, 2019, at Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel.